| Saser Kangri | |
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Saser Kangri
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| Elevation | 7,672 m (25,171 ft) Ranked 35th |
| Prominence | 2,304 m (7,559 ft) |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Location | |
| Location | India[1] |
| Range | Saser Muztagh, Karakoram |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1973 by Dawa Norbu, Da Tenzing, Nima Tenzing, Thondup |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
Saser Kangri (or Sasir Kangri) is the highest peak in the Saser Muztagh, the easternmost subrange of the Karakoram range in India.[1]
The Saser Kangri massif consists of five named peaks:
| Saser Kangri I | 7,672 m (25,171 ft) | Ranked 35th, Prominence = 2,304 m (7,559 ft) |
| Saser Kangri II East | 7,518 m (24,665 ft) | Ranked 49th, Prominence = 1,450 m (4,757 ft) |
| Saser Kangri II West | 7,500 m (24,600 ft) | † |
| Saser Kangri III | 7,495 m (24,590 ft) | Ranked 51st, Prominence = 850 m (2,789 ft) |
| Saser Kangri IV | 7,416 m (24,331 ft) | † |
This massif lies toward the northwestern end of the Saser Muztagh, at the head of the North Shukpa Kunchang Glacier, a major glacier which drains the eastern slopes of the group. The Sakang and Pukpoche Glaciers head on the western side of the group, and drain into the Nubra River.
Early exploration and climbing attempts of Saser Kangri occurred on the western side, from the Nubra Valley; this is lower, more populated, and hence more easily accessible than the eastern side, which faces the Tibetan Plateau. Early European exploration included a visit in 1909 by famed explorer T. G. Longstaff, along with Arthur Neve and A. M. Slingsby. However, visits and failed climbing attempts by multiple groups on the western side over the period 1922-1970 showed that the western side was surprisingly difficult.
In 1973, an expedition of members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police finally succeeded in making the first ascent of the peak, by a very different route. They approached the peak from the southeast, via the upper Shyok Valley and the North Shukpa Kunchang Glacier, a long and difficult journey. Only in 1987 did climbers succeed in ascending this peak from the western side: an Indian-British team successfully climbed the peak in conjunction with the first ascent of Saser Kangri IV.
Saser Kangri II West was first climbed in 1984 by an Indo-Japanese team, who at the time, had believed the peak to be higher than Saser Kangri II East and only subsequently was it determined to be the lower of the two. Saser Kangri II East was first climbed by Mark Richey, Steve Swenson and Freddie Wilkinson on August 24, 2011.[2] Until then it was the world's second highest unclimbed mountain after Gangkhar Puensum.
Saser Kangri III was first climbed by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police expedition in 1986 using an eastern approach. The summit party consisted of the climbers: Budhiman, Neema Dorjee, Sher Singh, Tajwer Singh, Phurba Sherpa and Chhewang Somanla.[3]
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